“A colourful house, a monkey, and a horse” – Pippi Longstocking isn't the only one with these mascots; these two animal friends also feature in the mascot history of Hannover 96. The club has been supported by many different animals in the past, including a monkey and a horse.
A German Shepherd was the first character to support the Lower Saxony team from the sidelines. His successor was somewhat smaller and named „Popo.“ „Popo“ was a capuchin monkey kept on a leash – and was one of the few of his kind to experience the football action so closely. To complete the Pippi Longstocking analogy, a pony accompanied the 96ers in the 1970s and was also the last real animal to be used as an atmosphere-booster in the Hannover stadium. With the advent of today’s mascots, the wire man „VicTOR“ and the wolf „Hanno“ further energised the fans and the team.
Since 2013, „EDDI“ – a brown bloodhound – has been the mascot of Hannover 96. He has already experienced promotions and relegations – and this season, he follows every home game from close range.
Only one defeat in the last five games shows why Christian Titz’s team is currently competing at the top of the table. Eight points from the last five games is a respectable return for „Die Roten“ (The Reds), especially considering they faced two top-five teams, Schalke and Elversberg. With 50 points in the league so far, the team from Lower Saxony sits in fifth place, level on points with Darmstadt. Here’s the record from the last five games:
| Match | Result | Points |
| SV Elversberg (H) | 1:1 | 1 |
| Eintracht Braunschweig (H) | 1:0 | 3 |
| FC Schalke 04 (A) | 2:2 | 1 |
| SpVgg Greuther Fürth (H) | 1:2 | 0 |
| DSC Arminia Bielefeld (A) | 1:0 | 3 |
| Top Scorer | Top Assists |
| Benjamin Källman – 13 Goals | Noel Aseko – 6 Assists |
| Daisuke Yokota – 4 Goals | Maurice Neubauer – 4 Assists |
| Noel Aseko – 3 Goals | Enzo Leopold – 4 Assists |
| Enzo Leopold – 3 Goals | Mustapha Bundu – 3 Assists |
| Hayate Matsuda – 3 Goals | Maik Nawrocki – 3 Assists |
Christian Titz
Head coach of Hannover 96Tiki-taka, long balls, counter-attacking play, or the simple one-two pass. All these tactics require one thing: getting the ball safely from one player to another! Put simply: passing. And Hannover 96’s pass completion rate is an excellent indicator. 85.9 percent of all passes from Titz’s team find their target – the best in the league. Hannover also enjoys a high percentage of possession (56.3 percent), more than any other team in the league.
A quick one-two, a dribble through three opponents, to the edge of the penalty area, and a shot – the ball flies towards the far corner, shouts of „Goal!“ erupt, but the ball doesn’t go in. Nahuel Noll makes another save, as he has so often this season. He has already kept nine clean sheets this campaign, consistently proving himself a reliable last line of defence for his team. Only three other goalkeepers have managed more clean sheets this season.
The 23-year-old spent his youth at 1860 Munich and TSG Hoffenheim. He is still under contract with the latter and is currently on loan at Hannover 96. He previously gained considerable second-division experience last season, also on loan at Greuther Fürth. Noll’s future in the summer remains uncertain, but his focus is currently on Hannover. “I feel very comfortable in Hanover and am 100 percent focused on the job here. And once we’ve all done our jobs and played the season, then we can talk about everything in the summer,” Noll explained in an interview with the Bild newspaper.
The goalkeeper is now not only shining between the posts, but also with the ball at his feet. It’s clear that he’s involved in the team’s build-up play. Nevertheless, he’s not afraid to send the ball on a long, long run. He probably fondly remembers the first-half match against Bielefeld: Hannover 96 not only won, but also benefited from an assist by Noll that led to the equaliser. Only one other goalkeeper has managed an assist this season: Marcel Schuhen. The two will face each other in the match on Saturday (April 11th/8:30pm).
An emotional match with many controversial moments unfolded on Sunday afternoon at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Ultimately, Darmstadt suffered their first home defeat of the young season. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you.
Tried everything, but to no avail: SV 98 came up short in their home game against Hannover 96. The final score was 1-0 (0-0) to the visitors, whilst the Lilies had to play with ten men after Vukotic was sent off in the 20th minute.
Home game against Hannover! On matchday 3, Darmstadt 98 will host the ambitious Lower Saxons at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting lineup compared to the victory in Jena. Hiroki Akiyama replaces the suspended Kai Klefisch, while Nicolas Verkooijen (making his first start) and Yosuke Furukawa start in place of Carlo Sickinger and Manolo Merx.
Weekend, Lilies fever! On Sunday (August 30th/1:30pm), the Lilies have their third matchday on the schedule. Hannover 96, the club from the Lower Saxon capital, will be visiting the Bölle. What do the two head coaches have to say before kickoff? Who will be refereeing the match? And where can you watch the game? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the match against Hannover in our "Matchday Guide"
One day before their home game against Hannover 96, Darmstadt 98 have announced another new signing. William Mikelbrencis will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 22-year-old Frenchman was under contract with Hamburger SV until June 30th.
In the press conference before the second home game of the still young season, our head coach spoke about, among other things, our team's attacking play and the past week. As usual, you can find the most important statements before the match against Hannover 96 (August 30th/1:30pm) here for you.
A second-division team on the Berlin Mount Olympus: Hannover 96 achieved something unique in 1992. On May 23, the Lower Saxony club defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the DFB Cup final, securing another major title in the club's history 38 years after their German championship win in 1954. Hannover became the first and, to this day, only "true" second-division team to win the DFB Cup, causing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.
A special place of remembrance for one of the most famous Darmstadt fans. Before SV Darmstadt 98's home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), Jonathan Heimes Square at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor will be officially opened.
Darmstadt's league campaign resumes on Sunday (August 30th). Their opponent? Hannover 96! Hannover 96 have lost more often to Darmstadt than to any other team in the 2. Bundesliga. All the other facts and figures surrounding the match can be found here.
On Sunday (August 30, 2026, 1:30pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information for the upcoming home game. Starting this season, we will be offering women's entrances at the west entrances. Additionally, there is a Bölle Bande family entrance with easier access at the Karl-Hess-Platz entrance.
In Wednesday's media briefing, Nicolas Verkooijen spoke about his Kickbase team, communication within the squad, and the intensive training in Germany. A former Darmstadt 98 player had the opportunity to compete against the best footballers, and we report on the historic stadium tour as part of the Bundesliga's founding anniversary celebrations. All the latest news from SV Darmstadt 98 can be found, as usual, in "Lilies Across the Board"
A journey to the roots of the Lilies: Where churches, residential buildings, or clubhouses stand today, Darmstadt football history was once written. To mark the Day of German Football History, 35 participants set out on a special tour of discovery aboard the professional team's bus—tracing the path from the early pitches of FK Olympia and SC Darmstadt to the club's current home at the Böllenfalltor.